Chapter 172: Chapter 172 

~ NYSSA

Over the next two days, I was watched like a hawk.

If Eric wasn’t watching me, then Rowan was nearby. It was as touching as it was overwhelming. I stayed in the palace for the most part, going over the rest of the planning for the mating ceremony while Rowan spent his days doing long work hours as he tried to figure out how the rogue managed to get in undetected.

I yawned loudly as I leaned over a large magazine, going over the last thing required for the planning—the floral pieces.

“I like these ones,” Aria pointed out. “They’re white.”

I shrugged. “The yellow ones are pretty too.”

“We have to pick something.”

“The ceremony is tomorrow evening,” I reminded her. “I don’t think it matters anymore. What can we get on such short notice?”

“Anything. You’re the King’s mate. You could ask for flowers from the mountains and someone would get them for you before tomorrow morning.”

I leaned back in my chair, letting my head fall against the wall and closing my eyes as I exhaled deeply. “Just pick something.”

“Nyssa—”

“I already picked everything,” I cut her off. “I don’t care much for the flowers anymore. The day is going to be perfect, can you just… let this one be?”

I pried my eyes open to find her pursing her lips tightly.

“Fine,” she grumbled, closing the magazines. “The decorations will be finished sometime in the afternoon. You won’t get to see the finished venue until tomorrow at the ceremony. Are you okay with that?”

I shrugged. “I don’t care much.”

We sat in my nearly empty bedroom. All of my clothes were sent ahead to Rowan’s—our – new home. Only my dress for tomorrow and clothes for later hung in the closet. I’d been brimming with excitement all day, but underneath it all was a tightly coiled ball in the center of my chest.

“I wanted to add—”

She didn’t get to finish her sentence because the door opened and Rowan walked in at that very moment.

His eyes were sunken, and deep lines wore at the corners of his face. The ends of his hair stuck up at terrible angles, and his clothes were rumpled. He walked past Aria without another word, heading straight for me.

Aria managed to shut the door before he tilted my chin up for a kiss.

The smell of grass, dirt and something with a suspicious chemical tint hit me but I didn’t pull back because underneath it all was his scent—deep, dark and rick.

“You look exhausted,” I noted and he groaned.

“I am. I had a very busy day.” He pulled his shirt over his head effortlessly and began to work on his pants. “I was at the border for the most part, then I went to the house. I had to make sure everything was arranged properly.”

I’d seen him naked so many times and I still could not help the slight flush that crawled up my cheeks as I promptly turned away. I heard his clothes hit the floor and waited until I heard the bathroom door open before finally turning back around.

I heard the shower come on and tried not to imagine what he was doing inside there. My legs squeezed together of their own accord, my cheeks warming as pictures flashed in my mind.

“You can always join me, Nyssa,” he drawled from inside the bathroom. “No need to torture yourself.”

“I’m not—”

“I can smell you,” he reminded me. “Get in here, now.”

I was on my feet in a second, slowly trudging towards the bathroom.

The shower glass was already fogging up but I could still make him out, standing with his hans braced against the clear glass in all his naked glory. I felt his eyes on me as I pulled the straps of my dress down, letting it pool on the ground in front of me.

I saw him grow harder and my throat dried as I realized there was only a thin glass between us.

Slowly, he pulled the door open, his eyes locking on mine. “Come.”

I moved to him, like a puppet on a string. Once I was within reach, he wrapped his arms around me, placing a soft kiss on my lips, my cheeks, my shoulders.

His erection pressed into my lower belly, hard and throbbing, desperate for attention. I wanted to reach between us, to stroke him, to guide him between my—

He pulled back with a curse. “Whatever you’re thinking of—stop.”

My brows furrowed in confusion as he walked over to the other end of the stall, his hands running through his hair.

“You asked me in here, I thought—”

“In hindsight, that was a shitty idea,” he managed out. “I wasn’t thinking, I just—I wanted to spend time with you. You won’t see much of me tomorrow, not until the mating ceremony.”

It felt like someone had doused me with ice water.

Even now, with so many hours to the ceremony, my heart was pounding wildly in my chest and the ball of nervousness only grew. I couldn’t imagine how it would feel tomorrow, especially if Rowan wasn’t near.

“Why?” I asked. “Do you have work?”

He shook his head. “It’s some stupid fucking tradition. Once the sun is up, I have to leave. It’s why I tried to be back as early as possible. I want this night with you and if I fuck you right now, you’ll get exhausted and fall asleep.”

I swallowed thickly.

The arousal did not disappear merely because I wanted it to, but I forced it into the back of my mind, choosing instead to focus on the man in front of me.

“Okay,” I managed out, willing my voice to be even. “So we just take a shower?”

He nodded.

I took a slow step towards him. “I think we can do that.”

“We can.”

“We can keep our hands off each other.”

“True.”

We stood in front of each other, breaths heavy, chests heaving and skin touching with each breath.

He lasted all of five seconds before he was kissing me again.

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